Carrier for pneumatic dispatch-tubes



(NO Model.)

s. F. LEAKE. CARRIER FOR PNEUMATIC DISPATGH TUBES. No. 431,900.

Patented July 8, 1890.

UnrrEn Srn'rEs PATENT 'tlEEicE,

SAMUEL F. LEAKE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CARRlER FOR PNEUMATIC DISPATCH-TUBES,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,900, dated July 8,1890.

Application filed October 26, 1889. Serial No. 328,243. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL F LEAKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inCarriers for Pneumatic Dispatch-Tube Systems, of which the following isa specification.

My invention has relation to carriers for pneumatic dispatch-tubes ofthe form composed of sections flexibly united or jointed together toform a single tubular or cylindrical casing or carrier, whichapproximately fits or conforms to the interior or bore of thedispatch-tube; and it has for one of its objects wheel or rollersupports for each end of the carrier, which roller or wheel supports arelocated beyond the ends of the carrier, and are so arranged that theirperipheries conform to or contact with the bore of the dispatch-tube andto form end guides for the carrier ends to prevent them buckling upontheir joints or connections when traveling through the curved portionsof the dispatch-tube and to admit of obtaining speed for the carrierwith a minimum vacuum or air-pressure power.

My invention consists of the combinations, constructions, andarrangements of parts, as hereinafter described in the spccificatioinandpointed out in the claims, having reference particularly to theaccompanying drawings, whorein Figure 1 is a plan view of acarrierembodying my improvements, Fig. 2, a side elevation, partlysectional; Fig. 3, a cross-section-of a wheel for a carrier having arubber tire; and Pi el and 5 a view of one end of a carrier and a sideelevation of part of the same, respectively, showing a modification ofarrangement of wheels for the carrier.

A represents the carrier, preferably of a cylindrical form, which may beof any suitable or desired length, either in one piece or in sectionsjointed or otherwise connected together, so that each section will yieldindependently of the other. \Vhen in one piece, the carrier A may beprovided with either the usual outside leather lianges or it may havesuitable outside anti-friction walls, and when in sections, as indicatedat a a, they may be connected by suitable flexible or hinged joints, asshown at a a, respectively, in a manner fully shown, described, andclaimed in another pending application filcd by me of an even dateherewith, Serial No. 328,244.

The object of making the carrier in sections is that a longer and a morecapaoious carrier can be used to confornito and travel through thecurves of the tube without undue friction than is the case where thecarrier is made of a single section or piece. The ends a of the carrierare preferably provided with yoke or other suitably-shaped bearings B,pivoted or hinged to the carrier ends (L as indicated at Z). In theseyokes are mounted wheels or rollers C for travel on suitably formed andarranged tracks in the dispatchtube, as fully shown, des -ribed, andclaimed in still another pending application filed by me of an even dateherewith, Serial No. 328,2l5; or said wheel may be arranged to travel onthe walls of the tube, and in any case they support the ends of thecarrier. The diameter of the wheels 0 is preferably approximately thesame as the outside diameter of the carrier, so that the carrier fillsup the space of the dispatch'tube in order to be subject to the fullforce of the vacuum or air pressure therein, so that the carrier willtravel at the greatest possible speed that the vacuum or air-pressureused admit-s of. The rollers or wheels 0, being at or beyond the ends ofthe carrier, they support each end of thc carrier, and also itsentirelength, more or less, so that undue bearing-contact, andconsequent friction due to the whole weight of the carrier pressingdirectly against the tube as the carrier travels through the tube, isavoided, and less power, therefore, is required to propel the carrier ata given speed through the tube.

To avoid noise and friction of the move ment of the wheels C 011 thetracks in the tube or against the wall of the tube, the wheels areprovided with rubber or other like tires, as indicated at c, Fig. 3. A.single large wheel C maybe used, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or a numberof small wheels may be substituted for the single wheel, as indicated inFigs. 4c and 5. In the latter case the bearings B for the wheels are notjointed to the carrier ends a", as such join ting is then not necessary.The wheels. 0, whether a single wheel or a number of wheels, have theirperipheries con forming to the bore of the tube to contact therewith, sothat they form guide-wheels for the end sections of the carrier toprevent them buckling upon their jointed or flexible connections inpassing into, traveling through, and coming out of the curved portionsof the tube, and in turn avoid all strain or friction between thecarrier and the tube incident to such buckling.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the carrier is preferably of acylindrical closed form, as contradistinguished from an open carrier ora number of open or car-like carriers coupled together, that the singleWheelbearings B are hinged or pivoted to the ends of the carrier andserve to guide it through the various curved parts of the system, thatthere is less friction between the traveling carrier and the tube, thatthe sections of the carrier as well as end wheel or wheels yield readilyto the curves in the tube, and hence sharper or quicker curves can beused, that as the carrier is made up of jointed sections a long carriercan be used to transmit an increased bulk or volume of matter, that asthe entire weight of the carrier is more or less supported upon thewheels 0 there is less friction between the carrier and its tube and thecarrier travels at an increase of speed with a given power, and that inconjunction With this last-named advantage as the carrier fits the tubesnugly the full force of the vacuum or air-pressure is exerted againstits ends to further admit of increasing the rate of speed of the carrierwith the given power.

I am aware that trains of cars or separate carriers coupled together arenot new; but

these differ from my sectional carrier in that it has but a singleapartment from end to end, while on a train of carriers each carrierisseparate from the other, or requires to be separately opened to insertmatter into the same and withdraw it therefrom.

What I claim is 1. A pneumatic dispatch-carrier having single end wheelsC, having bearings B, pivoted or hinged to the carrier ends forsupporting said ends and the length of the carrier, substantially as setforth.

2. A pneumatic dispatch carrier having jointed end bearings B and wheels0, mounted on said bearings beyond the ends of the carrier forsupporting said ends and the length of the carrier, substantially as setforth.

3. A closed cylindrical or tubular pneumatic dispatch tube carriercomposed of jointed or yielding sections of substantially the samediameter as the bore of the dispatchtube, and having endsupporting-wheels 0, located beyond the ends of the carrier, and saidWheels having their peripheries conforming to the bore of thedispatch-tube, substantially as set forth.

4. A pneumatic dispatch carrier having Wheels 0, with rubber tires,located beyond and having jointed bearings with the ends of the carrier,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

7 SAMUEL F. LEAKE. WVitnesses:

S. J. VAN STAVOREN, OHAs. F. VAN HORNE.

